1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to anti-aliasing and, more specifically, to using sub-pixel sample pattern sets to produce anti-aliased images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional anti-aliasing patterns are carefully designed to sample all of the geometry in a scene and in order to produce a high quality anti-aliased image. Conventional anti-aliasing techniques use a sample pattern to determine sub-pixel coverage. When a sub-pixel sample pattern with aligned sub-pixel sample positions is applied to all of the pixels in a scene, the sample pattern may be visible in the anti-aliased image. Additionally, when a sample pattern is used for coverage, but not for shading, details of scenes produced using a high frequency shading function may not be visible. For example, shiny (highly reflective) objects with varying geometry may not be sampled at a high enough rate to produce a high quality image when the sample pattern is not used for shading operations.
Accordingly, there is a need for improved anti-aliasing sample patterns that produce sub-pixel samples for both coverage and shading. Furthermore, it is desirable to be able to produce anti-aliased images using multi-processor systems.